Press File PhotoThe former Oakdale Elementary School, which had been pegged for apartments, now has been sold to a charter school.

GRAND RAPIDS – An out-of-town developer’s about-face has angered city officials who feel they were lied to about plans for three former school buildings.

Grand Rapids for months has vetted Ojibway Development’s proposal to turn the schools into low-income apartments. After getting city approvals and finalizing a $1.6 million purchase of the schools, the Berkley, Mi., developer now has sold one of the buildings to National Heritage Academies for a charter school that presumably would compete with Grand Rapids Public Schools for students.

“We were deceived,” Mayor George Heartwell said. “(A school) is a good use, but you don’t come in and say I’m going to put a residential development on this site in order to secure it from the (Grand Rapids Public) Schools. They knew going in that’s what they were going to do.

“I would never vote for any other project that this developer brings before us. I wouldn’t trust him.”